Maize (Zeamays
L) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under
varied agro-climatic conditions. Globally, maize is known as queen of cereals
because it has the highest genetic yield potential among the cereals. It is
cultivated on nearly 150 m ha in about 160 countries having wider diversity of
soil, climate, biodiversity and management practices that contributes 36 % (782
m t) in the global grain production. The United States of America (USA) is the
largest producer of maize contributes nearly 35 % of the total production in
the world and maize is the driver of the US economy. The USA has the highest
productivity (> 9.6 t ha-1) which is double than the
global average (4.92 t ha-1). Whereas, the average productivity in India is 2.43 t ha-1.

In India, maize is the third most important food crops after rice
and wheat. According to advance estimate it is cultivated in 8.7 m ha (2010-11)
mainly during Kharif
season which covers 80% area. Maize in India, contributes nearly 9 % in the
national food basket and more than Rs. 100 billion to the agricultural GDP at
current prices apart from the generating employment to over 100 million
man-days at the farm and downstream agricultural and industrial sectors. In
addition to staple food for human being and quality feed for animals, maize
serves as a basic raw material as an ingredient to thousands of industrial
products that includes starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food
sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper
industries etc.

Recent trends (2003-04 to 2008-09) in growth rate of area (2.6 %),
production (6.4 %) and productivity (3.6 %) of maize in India has been of high
order and experienced highest growth rate among the food crops. Since 1950-51,
the area, production and productivity of maize have increased by more than 3.4,
12 and 4.5 times from 3.2 m ha, 1.7 m t and 547 kg ha-1 to current
level of 8.17 m ha, 19.33 m t and 2414 kg ha-1, respectively due to
increasing maize demand for diversified uses. In India, the maize is used as human food (23%), poultry feed (51 %),
animal feed (12 %), industrial (starch) products (12%), beverages and seed (1 %
each). With the increasing trends of maize production,
the projected demand of maize (22.73 m t) by the end of XIth
five year plan (2011-12) will be achieved through improved maize production
technologies focused on �Single Cross Hybrids�.

The
maize is cultivated throughout the year in all states of the country for
various purposes including grain, fodder, green cobs, sweet corn, baby corn,
pop corn in peri-urban areas. The predominant maize
growing states that contributes more than 80 % of the total maize production
are Andhra Pradesh (20.9 %), Karnataka (16.5 %), Rajasthan (9.9 %), Maharashtra
(9.1 %), Bihar (8.9 %), Uttar Pradesh (6.1 %), Madhya Pradesh (5.7 %), Himachal
Pradesh (4.4 %). Apart from these states maize is also grown in Jammu and
Kashmir and North-Eastern states. Hence, the maize has emerged as important
crop in the non-traditional regions i.e. peninsular India as the state like
Andhra Pradesh which ranks 5th in area (0.79 m ha) has recorded the
highest production (4.14 m t) and productivity (5.26 t ha-1) in the country although the productivity in
some of the districts of Andhra Pradesh is more or equal to the USA.